Public Participation by Optimizing Rural Spatial Planning to Prevent Functional Conversion of Agricultural Land to Non-agricultural Use

Abstract

Spatial planning in a region is necessary to be carried out. Spatial planning is a realization of planning a region how it will be developed or maintained. It becomes the basic principle within all sequences of spatial planning in a region. Regional spatial planning can involve urban and rural areas. Good spatial planning can make significant contribution to prevent functional conversion from agricultural land into non-agricultural land which is getting massive. Therefore, this study discusses and analyses the functional conversion from agricultural land into non-agricultural land as well as the strategy of public participation in spatial planning to prevent the conversion, particularly in Munding village in Bergas sub-district in Semarang regency. This study used a qualitative method which revealed truth based on the results of factual data collection during the research. The research is conducted according to observation of natural background or social environment producing descriptive data. The result shows that strategy that can be used to prevent agricultural land conversion is socialization, which educates the people and public participation. Public participation is important to increase the knowledge of people about every stage of spatial planning and license to limit conversion of agricultural land.